Good Charlotte Motel Du Cap
- Alternative |
- Pop Punk |
- Punk |
- Rock
Release Date: August 8, 2025
Label: Atlantic
Good Charlotte check back in with Motel Du Cap, a sharp, no-frills return that trades nostalgia for honesty and finds the band sounding more locked-in than they have in years.
Two decades after they crashed the mainstream with sneering hooks and suburban angst, Good Charlotte return with Motel Du Cap, their eighth studio album and first in seven years. The new album finds the Madden brothers and crew reconnecting with the spark that started it all. This time, from an unexpected corner of the French Riviera.
The title nods to a private wedding gig they played in 2023 at the legendary Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, a surreal, sun-drenched detour that ended up breathing new life into the band. “It was this wild, once-in-a-lifetime vibe,” Joel Madden recalls. “We were just there to celebrate, no pressure, and it reminded us why we started this — pure, unfiltered connection.” That jolt of inspiration led to writing sessions that were loose, emotional, and wholly unguarded.
Early reviews are already calling Motel Du Cap a standout in the band’s discography. Kerrang! calls it “their most open, honest, and thrilling work in years,” adding that the album “doesn’t just tap into nostalgia — it turns it into something vital.” When The Horn Blows praised the lead single “Rejects” as “a confident reintroduction that shows the band aren’t just back — they’re locked in.” Even longtime fans are getting loud, calling it “their best material since 2007” and noting how it “feels fresh and exciting in a way that still sounds like them.”
The result is a bold return to the band’s roots that doesn’t retreat into the past, but uses it as fuel. It’s Good Charlotte at their most vulnerable and self-assured, flipping the script on fame, family, and everything that comes with sticking around long after the spotlight dims. From anthemic punches to late-night confessions, the album balances grit and heart with their signature blend of pop-punk hooks and grown-up scars.